The World Wide Web is a collection of servers connected to the Internet that utilizes the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”). HTTP is a known application protocol that provides users with access to documents (e.g., web pages at a web site) written in a standard mark-up page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”). HTTP is used to transmit HTML web pages between a remote computer, i.e., a server, and a client computer in a form that is understandable to browser software, e.g., Netscape Navigator™, executing on the client computer.
A web site may be customized to a specific user of a client computer (hereinafter “client”) when information about that client is available to the site. For example, if a web site has access to a record indicating that a client is a sports fan, then the site may be specially configured to display a sports advertisement whenever that client accesses the site. Such functionality can encourage sports sponsors for the web site, consequently increasing site revenue.
To that end, the World Wide Web may utilize “cookies” to provide client information, e.g., user's regular interest or buying habits, to a web site. As is known in the art, a cookie is a data block that is transmitted to a client browser by a web site. Upon receipt, the browser stores the cookie in a given manner such as, for example, in a text file called “cookie.txt.” The cookie may then be transmitted back to the web site each time the browser requests access to a web page from the web site.
The data included in the cookies may then be gathered by data collection agencies and stored in a database. For example, if a user purchased vintage baseball cards on a web site that sold collectibles, then the cookies may include information such as the name of the individual purchasing the vintage baseball cards, the individual's credit card number, the individual's address and home phone number, the individual's work phone number, as well as the particular type of baseball cards purchased and the amount purchased. The information may then be sold to marketers who use the information to solicit appropriate sales literature, e.g., baseball cards, to the individual. However, the individual may not want marketers to obtain such information.
Furthermore, the data in the cookies that are used to deduce the user's interest or buying habits may be inaccurate. For example, a user may be researching Islamic holidays on the Internet because of a school project. Marketers may then make improper deducements from the cookie data, e.g., the user is an Islamic fundamentalist and would like literature on how to join Islamic fundamentalist political parties and organizations.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a system and method whereby data gathered by data collection agencies and distributed to marketers are more accurate. It would further be desirable to develop a system and method that limits the information that may become available to data collection agencies and sold to marketers if the user wishes.